The investigation og pH effects on the structure, colour and spectral characteristics of cyanidin and cyanidin 3-0-ß-glucopyranoside and the examination of their interactions with lipid model membranes.

The relationships between structure, spectral characteristics, and colour of the aglycone moiety of cyanidin and its 3-glucosidic substitution in cyanidin 3-O- β-glucopyranoside were studied as a function of pH, using a combination of techniques (UV-Vis spectrophotometry, colorimetry, and HPLC-ESI/MS). The absorption and fluorescence emission spectra of cyanidin and Cy3Glc at pH 5.5 in aqueous solution have been studied. The colour variation, colour intensity and stability at various pH values (2.0, 4.0, 7.0 and 9.0) of cyanidin and Cy3Glc were investigated during a period of 8 hours storage at 25 ± 0.1ºC, as well as, in the aqueous solution at pH 7.0 and under the conditions of the elevated temperature (55.0 ± 0.1ºC) which simulate the rapid food ageing. The interactions of cyanidin and Cy3Glc with model lipid membranes differing in surface charge and phase state were investigated using DSC and fluorescence emission polarization spectrometry

Optimization of Collateral Value Distribution

Loan Loss Provisioning (LLP) is an amount of reserve that banks "put aside" to cover loss in case that loan goes in default, meaning that clients do not repay it. It is a safety buffer for preserving banks liquidity and capital adequacy. On the other hand, the Loan Loss Provisioning is a cost. In the Profit and Lost statement of banks, LLP decreases profit. It is a good tool/mechanism for risk management, but also expensive one, and that is why it is important for banks to optimize it in every possible way. The aim of optimization is to distribute collateral value to the connected loans, in a way to minimize amount of LLP. It can be done easily on a one loan level, but creating a universal algorithm that is applicable to all loans and all collaterals on the Bank portfolio level, is the goal to be achieved

Unaprijeđeno upravljanje momentom visokobrzinskog pogona s asinkronim motorom bez mjerenja brzine

This paper presents improved torque control scheme for a high speed sensorless induction motor drive. The proposed high speed torque control scheme substitutes the flux oriented control by the voltage angle control in the flux weakening regime. This scheme uses maximum of available inverter voltage, alleviates well known problems of current control schemes in conditions with insufficient voltage margin and avoids the influence of estimated speed error to the achieved flux level. The algorithm uses similar slip control as flux oriented control algorithm, but is applied without an outer flux trajectory reference which is typical for the flux weakening, providing a fast and well damped torque response even if error in estimated speed is present. Experiments confirm the effectiveness of proposed torque control algorithm, smooth transition from the flux oriented control in the base speed region to the voltage angle control in the flux weakening, superior dynamic performance of the voltage angle torque control, and its robustness to an estimated rotor speed error.U radu je predstavljena unaprijeđena shema upravljanja za pogon visokobrzinskog asinkronog motora bez mjerenja brzine. Predloženi postupak zamjenjuje vektorsko upravljanje upravljačkom strukturom s upravljanjem kutom napona u slabljenju polja. Predložena shema koristi maksimalni raspoloživi napon invertora, eliminira dobro poznate probleme strujno reguliranih pogona u uvjetima s nedovoljnom rezervom napona i eliminira utjecaj greške u estimaciji brzine na dostignutu razinu toka. Algoritam koristi sličnu kontrolu klizanja kao i vektorsko upravljanje, ali bez tipičnog vanjskog zadavanja toka u slabljenju polja, pružajući brz i dobro prigušen odziv momenta čak i u slučaju greške u estimaciji brzine. Eksperimenti izvedeni na velikoj brzini vrtnje potvrđuju učinkovitost predložene regulacije momenta, gladak prijelaz iz baznog područja brzine u slabljenje polja, vrhunske dinamičke performanse upravljanja kutom napona i robusnost na pogrešku u estimiranoj brzini vrtnje

Laser feedback interferometry in multi-mode terahertz quantum cascade lasers

The typical modal characteristics arising during laser feedback interferometry (LFI) in multi-mode terahertz (THz) quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) are investigated in this work. To this end, a set of multi-mode reduced rate equations with gain saturation for a general Fabry-Pérot multi-mode THz QCL under optical feedback is developed. Depending on gain bandwidth of the laser and optical feedback level, three different operating regimes are identified, namely a single-mode regime, a multi-mode regime, and a tuneable-mode regime. When the laser operates in the single-mode and multi-mode regimes, the self-mixing signal amplitude (peak to peak value of the self-mixing fringes) is proportional to the feedback coupling rate at each mode frequency. However, this rule no longer holds when the laser enters into the tuneable-mode regime, in which the feedback level becomes sufficiently strong (the boundary value of the feedback level depends on the gain bandwidth). The mapping of the identified feedback regimes of the multi-mode THz QCL in the space of the gain bandwidth and feedback level is investigated. In addition, the dependence of the aforementioned mapping of these three regimes on the linewidth enhancement factor of the laser is also explored, which provides a systematic picture of the potential of LFI in multi-mode THz QCLs for spectroscopic sensing applications

Epidemiological, clinical and laboratory characteristics of the measles resurgence in the Republic of Serbia in 2014-2015

The Republic of Serbia is a country with ongoing endemic transmission of measles. The aim of this study is to summarize the main characteristics of the measles resurgence that occurred in Serbia in 2014-2015. The national surveillance data on measles was analysed in relation to the clinical, epidemiological and laboratory data. Between November 2014 and December 2015 a measles resurgence with 420 cases was observed in Serbia. Measles virus was initially introduced by and spread among citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina with temporary residence in Serbia, before spreading to the resident population. Of the 223 patients with available medical records, 173 (77.6%) were unvaccinated. The overall measles incidence during the outbreak was 5.8/100.000. The highest age-specific incidence rate was recorded in children aged lt = 4 years (25.9/100.000), but most cases (67.9%) were gt = 20 years old. Hospitalization rate was high (32.9%) and included two cases of encephalitis associated with measles. In total, 42 health-care workers and 22 related cases including hospitalized patients (n = 13) contracted measles. The overall percentage of laboratory confirmed cases was 81.7% (n = 343/420). All measles virus sequences except one (D9) belonged to genotype D8, suggesting interruption of transmission after the previous outbreak in 2010-2011 caused by genotype D4 viruses. The growing number of adult patients as compared to previous epidemics, suggests an urgent need for supplementary immunization activities targeting susceptible health care workers, unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated adults as well as people without vaccination records. The comprehensive investigation of the 2014/2015 measles resurgence will contribute to decisions about appropriate countermeasures to stop the future measles resurgences in Serbia

Measurement of the emission spectrum of a semiconductor laser using laser-feedback interferometry

The effects of optical feedback (OF) in lasers have been observed since the early days of laser development. While OF can result in undesirable and unpredictable operation in laser systems, it can also cause measurable perturbations to the operating parameters, which can be harnessed for metrological purposes. In this work we exploit this ‘self-mixing’ effect to infer the emission spectrum of a semiconductor laser using a laser-feedback interferometer, in which the terminal voltage of the laser is used to coherently sample the reinjected field. We demonstrate this approach using a terahertz frequency quantum cascade laser operating in both single- and multiple-longitudinal mode regimes, and are able to resolve spectral features not reliably resolved using traditional Fourier transform spectroscopy. We also investigate quantitatively the frequency perturbation of individual laser modes under OF, and find excellent agreement with predictions of the excess phase equation central to the theory of lasers under OF

Effect of Foregrounds on the CMBR Multipole Alignment

We analyze the effect of foregrounds on the observed alignment of CMBR quadrupole and octopole. The alignment between these multipoles is studied by using a symmetry based approach which assigns a principal eigenvector (PEV) or an axis with each multipole. We determine the significance of alignment between these multipoles by using the Internal Linear Combination (ILC) 5 and 7 year map s and also the maps obtained by using the Internal Power Spectrum Estimation (IPSE) procedure. The effect of foreground cleaning is studied in detail within the framework of the IPSE method both analytically and numerically. By using simulated CMBR data, we study how the PEVs of the pure simulated CMB map differ from those of the final cleaned map. We find that, in general, the shift in the PEVs is relatively small and in random directions. Due to the random nature of the shift we conclude that it can only lead to misalignment rather than alignment of multipoles. We also directly estimate the significance of alignment by using simulated cleaned maps. We find that the results in this case are identical to those obtained by simple analytic estimate or by using simulated pure CMB maps.Comment: 27 pages, 8 figure

Detection sensitivity of laser feedback interferometry using a terahertz quantum cascade laser

We report on the high detection sensitivity of a laser feedback interferometry scheme based on a terahertz frequency quantum cascade laser. We show that variations on the laser voltage induced by optical feedback to the laser can be resolved with reinjection of powers as low as ~−125 dB of the emitted power. Our measurements demonstrate a noise equivalent power of ~1.4 pW/√Hz, although after accounting for reinjection losses we estimate this corresponds to only ~1 fW/√Hz being coupled to the quantum cascade laser active region

Measles situation in Serbia in an era of measles elimination (2007-2009)

Following the introduction of measles immunization in Serbia in 1971, measles outbreaks were recorded every 3 to 5 years until 1997. The outbreak in 1997 with 4000 cases was the last large outbreak in Serbia. In 2007, an outbreak with 191 laboratory confirmed or epidemiologically linked cases was reported in Vojvodina. In 2008 and 2009, only 3 cases were confirmed. From 2007-2009, measles infections were most frequently detected in the Roma population but also in non-immunized or partially immunized persons from the general population

Efficient prediction of terahertz quantum cascade laser dynamics from steady-state simulations

Terahertz-frequency quantum cascade lasers (THz QCLs) based on bound-to-continuum active regions are difficult to model owing to their large number of quantum states. We present a computationally efficient reduced rate equation (RE) model that reproduces the experimentally observed variation of THz power with respect to drive current and heat-sink temperature. We also present dynamic (time-domain) simulations under a range of drive currents and predict an increase in modulation bandwidth as the current approaches the peak of the light-current curve, as observed experimentally in mid-infrared QCLs. We account for temperature and bias dependence of the carrier lifetimes, gain, and injection efficiency, calculated from a full rate equation model. The temperature dependence of the simulated threshold current, emitted power, and cut-off current are thus all reproduced accurately with only one fitting parameter, the interface roughness, in the full REs. We propose that the model could therefore be used for rapid dynamical simulation of QCL designs. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LL